Longitude #68

Leaders

Cover story

From Gibraltar to the Strait of Hormuz, the Arab world is in the throes of chaos. Where once external forces were to blame, today the absence of external pressure has led to a fracturing among and within regional powers.

Syria is pregnant with a new world order. Whether the result is stillborn or a thriving new geopolitical arrangement will depend largely on how Donald Trump deals with the ascendant powers that have benefitted from the war.

A giant in Iranian politics, Hashemi Rafsanjani, has died. He played a number of roles throughout his long career, but whatever happened at the highest rungs of Iranian politics, you could be sure his influence was there.

A UN brokered solution to the chaos in Libya does not seem to be working. With Russia now involved and a new US president, an about-face with respect to which faction should be supported might be the best solution.

The Orientalist

Russia is now the main player in the Syrian peace talks. In an attempt to return to the world stage, Moscow has thrust itself into a position that proved very difficult for its predecessors in the region.

Featured briefing

The totally unexpected is now upon us. Trump is in office and the entire world is waiting to see how his presidency pans out. The only thing that can safely be said is that the entire journey has been unprecedented.

Paradoxically, both populist and liberal governments in Latin America are drawing inspiration from US events: one in the name of opposition to what the US was in the past, the other in the name of opposition to what the US could become under Trump.

Global trade

As protectionists gain the upper hand in the developed world, China’s Xi Jinping is coming to be seen as a champion of free trade. With the US retreating, Beijing
is poised to step into the vacuum created, even to the point of replacing Uncle Sam with their own version.

China

Industry 4.0

As technology advances, societies with a technological edge will move beyond those that have been catching up solely through cheap labor, thus modifying the economic hierarchy of nations and the relationship between governments and the workforce.

Technology transformations are an important way for governments to become more efficient. The digital magic of the IT revolution will only work if it is arranged in a core system that can adapt to the rapid changes in technology.

Warming bloopers

China is in the midst of a renewable energy revolution. Plagued by growing air pollution and the need to import fossil fuels from abroad, Beijing’s energy strategy is beginning to pay off both economically and environmentally.

Main menu

Widescreen

Charted territories

Some countries are overpopulated. Others seem to be nothing but empty space. A simple (though completely unrealistic) solution would be to leave populations intact, but move them to where there is more space.

Potomac watch

The mere threat of evicting the press corps from the White House reflects Trump’s adversarial relationship with the traditional media. The President’s showman inclinations would prefer a more staged spontaneity.

Chosen words

On June 5, 2016 Swiss voters were called to vote on a referendum to introduce a guaranteed basic income for all. Since work was increasingly automated, the supporters argued, fewer jobs were available for workers. The proposal was therefore to pay a monthly income of 2,500 Swiss francs ($2,555) for adults, whether they worked or not, and also 625 francs for each child. The electors overwhelmingly rejected a proposal.

Numbers

Relations between Mexico and the United States were originally shaped by territorial disputes and war. Even though the two neighbors are now on friendly terms, it won’t take much to reignite the rhetoric.